No bond for teen charged in store shooting

October 14, 2008

A judge denied bond today for a 15-year-old Chicago boy charged as an adult in the death of an 8th-grader who was shot as he bought snacks inside a South Side convenience store.

Sebastian Rodriguez, 15, of the 10700 block of South Hoxie Avenue, appeared before Cook County Circuit Judge Raymond Myles, charged with murder and attempted murder in the slaying of Sameere Conn, 13, and wounding of a 27-year-old man.

Friends and family say Conn had stopped at the convenience store after playing football and was shot in the torso by someone who fired through a front glass window.

Authorities alleged that Rodriquez told Conn last month that he was going to kill him and his friends.

"Three days before the shooting, the defendant and another witness had a three-way phone conversation with the victim. During that conversation, which was heard by the witness, the defendant told the victim that he had a 'death list' that had the victim's name on it," Assistant State's Atty. Maria McCarthy said in court.

At about 8:20 p.m., while Conn and some friends were inside a corner store buying food, Rodriguez came around the corner and fired through the front window of the shop, striking Conn in the abdomen and both hands, McCarthy said. The 27-year-old man was struck in the thigh.

Three eyewitnesses identified Rodriguez at the gunman, and police later recovered a .357 caliber revolver from his home, McCarthy said.

Rodriguez has a pending case against him in Juvenile Court in which he allegedly pointed a gun at another 13-year-old boy and threatened to shoot him. He was placed on home confinement in August in connection with that case.

Outside the courtroom, Rodriguez' parents declined to speak to reporters.

Their pastor, Ric Gonzalez, of International Christian Fellowship in Brookfield, said he and the family were disappointed that bail was denied.

"It's very sad," Gonzalez said. "You have a 15-year-old boy here that's been charged with some very serious things. We just hope for the best. He's just a kid caught up in an unfortunate situation right now."